bell hooks – “Rebel’s Dilemma”

The sociality of error is a concept aptly exemplified in bell hooks’ “Rebel’s Dilemma”. This theory, modeled and coined by Mina Shaughnessy in her Errors and Expectations, provides a justification for writers of advanced repute in the intentional use of grammatical and conventional errors in their work.

A common use for the intentional error may be found in novels and biographical sketches in order for the author to properly capture the vernacular or cultural slang of a character. However, Bell Hooks uses errors and nonacademic expressions in her three-page autobiographical journal as a form of rebellion against the academy.

She begins her dialogue with the reader in a manner much akin to most scholarly writers. In my opinion, every time Hooks uses her formal voice, it’s to provide assurance that she has a formal voice. With the sociality of error, this assurance is sometimes necessary for a writer who needs to make clear their purpose for using errors intentionally. In “Rebel’s Dilemma,” Hooks’ purpose is merely personal and self-interested; she is trying to convey to her readers the belief that a sophisticated writer has a right to use unconventional styles in their work, regardless of the motivation.

She uses phrases such as “such a drag,” “my honey,” “so way out there,” “mega-bucks and mega-play,” etc. When talking about her struggle as a writer, she mentions that she has written fifteen books, then says, “I have to constantly resist the censorship and silencing that my self-declared enemies hope will be the outcome of attacks and dismissals.”

What she is expressing in this section is exactly her purpose for using vernacular in this academic composition.

Taking into consideration Hooks’ fame and repute as a scholar and author, her use of sociality of error is both justified and celebrated. I applaud her passion and tenacity, and I imagine that Shaughnessy would do the same.